Milk crate



Jan. 17, 1961 H. ,REHRIG I 2,968,417

MYILK CRATE Filqd May 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR H0145 to Eek/"5g I H. REHRIG MILK. CRATE Jan. 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16, 1958 United States Patent MILK CRATE Houston Rehrig, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Rehrig Pacific Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed May 16, 1958, Ser. No. 735,827

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-19) The present invention relates to a milk crate and, more particularly, to a crate for handling milk bottles, cartons, and the like and having a sheet metal bottom circumscribed by a depending stacking rail.

The present invention constitutes an improvement upon the structure disclosed in my eariler filed patent application Serial No. 556,587 entitled, Milk Crate filed December 30, 1955, and now Patent No. 2,850,199.

In my earlier filed application, I have disclosed a sheet metal bottomed, wire-sided milk crate wherein the sheet metal bottom is provided with an integral, lip-standing, peripheral flange to which is secured a combination side rail and stacking rail. During actual commercial use of this earlier construction, it has been found that milk, either accidentally spilled or from broken bottles, can accumulate Within the combination side rail and stacking rail so that, over a period of use, an unsanitary condition may develop.

The present invention provides a sanitary milk crate construction wherein a sheet metal bottom is provided with peripheral flanges defining a channel circumscribing the bottom and underlying the marginal portions of the bottom supporting surface. Separate stacking rail elements are telescopically received by this integrally formed channel and the rail elements have portions depending therefrom to provide a supporting surface from which the bottom may be supported from the ground or from another, lower milk crate.

Preferably, a plurality of stacking rail elements are utilized, one for each side of the polygonal crate and the various stacking rail elements are secured together by fastening means to form an integrated bottom, side rail, and stacking rail construction. The absence of a side rail above the plane of the botom support surface of the crate prevents the accumulation of spilt milk within such a side rail, and the depression of the side rail beneath the support surface of the crate promotes the ready drainage of spilt milk from both the side rail and the stacking rail. In addition, the formation of the peripheral channel integrally with the bottom provides a rigidified bottom having substantially enhanced structural strength and having a simplified stacking rail structure.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide an improve milk crate or the like having a sanitary side rail and stacking rail structure.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of an improved milk crate or the like in which a sheet metal bottom is circumscribed by an integrally formed channel and stacking rail elements are secured to the under surface of the bottom with portions of the stacking rail elements being retained by the channels.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel milk crate wherein a rigidified, sanitary sheet metal bottom is provided with a novel form of side rail formed integrally with the bottom and a stacking rail integrated with the bottom structure.

'Yet another object of this invention is the provision of 2 an improved sanitary bottom, side rail and stacking rail construction for a milk crate or the like, wherein separate stacking rail elements are partially disposed in and retained by side rail channels formed integrally with the sheet metal bottom and adjacent stacking rails are secured to one another to further integrate the stacking rails into the over-all assembly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a milk crate or the like provided with a bottom construction of the present invtntion;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom view of the sheet metal crate bottom particularly illustrating the stacking rail corner construction;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the plane 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the plane 4-4 of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1, reference numeral 10 refers generally to a milk crate of the present invention which is especially adapted for the handling of the familiar onequarter cardboard milk cartons. Of course, the crate may be readily utilized for the handling of glass milk containers or bottles of various sizes.

As best shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the present invention is primarily concerned with the specific bottom construction which includes a polygonal, preferably rectan-gular, sheet metal bottom 11, the upper surface 12 of which is adapted to receive bottles or cartons thereon. The sheet metal bottom is depressed adjacent its outer periphery, as at 13 to provide a peripheral flange 14 (see Fig. 4) completely surrounding. the carton supporting surface 12. A second, outwardly disposed flange 15 is deflected downwardly to lie substantially normal to the peripheral flange 14 and to define a vertical wall which is integral with a terminal inturned flange 16, this inturned flange 16 lying substantially parallel to the support surface 12 and cooperating with the upper or peripheral flange 14 and the vertiacl wall 15 to enclose an interior space 17 which defines the crate side rail. This side rail, defined by the flanges 14, 15 and 16, circumscrlbes the sheet metal support surface 12 and is depending with respect to the support surface 12 inasmuch as it is disposed beneath the surface thereof.

From Figure 2, it will be noted that the bottom or terminal flanges 16 of adjacent sides of the crate have their longitudinal extremities 18 cut at complementary angles, preferably at an angle of 45 so that the longitudinal extremities of the adi-acent flanges 16 snugly abut one another without interference.

The crate 10 is provided with a depending, lower stacking rail 20 (Figure 4) which substantially circumscribes the crate and which serves to support the crate from a floor or other supporting surface or from a lower crate. More specifically, the stacking rail 20 comprises a medial, support wall 21 apertured, as at 22, and provided with an outwardly flared, generally upwardly extending first leg 23 blending smoothly at its upper extremity with a laterally outwardly deflected flange 24 adapted for extended surface engagement with the upper surface of the inturned terminal flange 16 of the bottom 11. This flange 24 is provided with a terminal upstanding flange 25 of such height as to fit rather snugly between the flanges 14 and 16 of the bottom 11 and to engage the inner surface of the depending flange 15. This last or terminal flange 25 extends substantially vertically, so that it lies parallel to and in extended surface engagement with the inner surface of the bottom side flange 15.

The bottom support surface 21 of the stacking rail has integrally formed therewith an upwardly and inwardly inclined second supporting leg 26 which terminates at its upper extremity in a laterally inwardly deflected terminal flange 27. This terminal flange 27 lies substantially horizontal and is in extended surface contact with the under surface of the bottom 11.

It will be readily understood that a plurality of stacking rail elements 20 are provided, each of these stacking rail elements being identical, except for length, and separate stacking rail elements are provided for each side of the polygonal crate 10.

As best illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, each longitudinal extremity of each side rail element 20 is provided with an integral, inwardly extending securing ear 30, these ears being formed integrally with and projecting inwardly from the terminal flanges 27 to provide a means for securing together adjacent stacking rail elements. In order that the mounting'ears of adjacent elements 20 may be overlapped during assembly, the mounting ear 30 at one end of each element 20 is located in a horizontal plane below the plane containing the mounting ear 30 at the opposite end of the element.

Thus, when the elements 20 are assembled upon the bottom, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, one such mounting car 30 will lie against the bottom 11 while the other mounting ear of that element and the mounting ear 30 on the adjacent stacking rail will overlie the one mounting ear 30. By locating the elements 20 in headto-tail relationship, all the stacking elements may be constructed in an identical manner while at the same time permitting the overlapping assembly in the corner regions.

As best illustrated in Figure 3, each of the mounting cars 30 is provided with a vertically extending aperture 31, which are in registry when the stacking rails are properly assembled in head-to-tail assembly as above explained, and the apertures 31 of superimposed ears 30 register with aperture 32 formed in the bottom. A hollow-ended rivet 35 having an enlarged head 36 overlying the support surface 12 of the bottom 11 depends through the registering apertures 31 and 32, and the hollow end of the rivet may be deformed, as at 37, to secure the bottom 11 and the adjacent ends of the stacking rails 20 in firm assembly.

Thus, from an inspection of Figures 2, 3 and 4 it will be seen that the individual stacking rail elements 20 are retained in assembled relationship, both by means of their telescopic interfitting with the side rail space 17 and by the rivet 35.

Referring now to the general crate assembly illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, it will be seen that the enclosed side rail space 17 lies below the plane of the support surface 12 of the bottom 11 and provides a peripheral space into which the terminal ends 40 of rod-like wire side members 41 may depend. These rod-like wire side members 41 depend through apertures 42 formed in the peripheral bottom flange 14, and the members 40 project into the space 17 to be bottomed against the upper surface of the stacking rail flange 24.

The side members 41 are secured in the side rail spaces 17 by means of securing clips indicated generally at 43 which engage the peripheral rod-like side structural member 44 secured to each of the vertical members 41. However, the manner of attaching the side members 41 to the side rail'of the bottom 11 forms no part of the present invention, and is described in detail and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 556,587. Reference to said copending application is made for a detailed disclosure of this securing means. It is not deemed necessary to fully describe this securing clip 43 or its function in the instant application.

Additional peripheral rod-like members 44 are secured to the vertical members 41, as best illustrated in Figure 1 to peripherally enclose the side walls of the crate 10. An upper interior rail 45 is formed of rod-like stock and joins the upper extremities of the members 41. The interior circumference of the peripheral member 45 is slightly greater than the exterior circumference of the stacking rail outer flange 23 so that the stacking rail flange 23 will be more or less snugly received by the peripheral element 45 of a similar crate positioned beneath the instant crate. Thus, the stacking rail 20 may be utilized to stack a plurality of superimposed identical crates.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a new and novel crate bottom construction wherein an integrated supporting surface, side rail, and stacking rail structure is provided. The utilization of flanges integral with the support surface to define the side rail structure, the telescopic nesting engagement of the outer portions of the stacking rail in the side rail channels, and the utility of the securing rivets to secure together superimposed ears on the stacking rails and to further integrate the stacking rails into the complete bottom structure result in the formation of an extremely rigid, simple, readily manufactured and inexpensive crate bottom which is sanitary, inasmuch as it prevents the entrapment of milk or similar fluids spilled within the crate.

While preferred embodiments have been described above in detail, it will be understood that numerous modifications might be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal bottom for a milk crate or the like comprising a substantially planar central sheet defining a receptacle-supporting upper surface, a downturned peripheral flange lying substantially normal to said upper surface, and an inturned terminal flange attached to said upper surface through said downturned flange and lying substantially parallel to said upper surface, and a plurality of separate stacking rail elements having lower medial support surfaces substantially parallel to said upper surface, outwardly directed flanges in extended surface engagement with and overlying said terminal sheet flange and inturned flanges abutting the under surface of said sheet inwardly of said peripheral flanges, ears on each end of each of said rail elements, the ears of each element being offset vertically to accommodate extended surface engagement between the ears of adjacent elements, and means securing together those ears in surface engagement.

2. A sheet metal bottom assembly for a milk crate or the like comprising a horizontal polygonal central sheet, a vertical flange extending downwardly along each peripheral edge of said sheet to an integral terminal flange projecting horizontally inwardly from said vertical flange to define an inwardly opening channel extending around the periphery of said sheet, a stacking rail element extending along each edge of said sheet, each stacking rail element having an outwardly projecting horizontal flange supported upon said terminal flange, a vertical web integral with said horizontal flange seated against the inner side of said vertical flange of said sheet, an inwardly projecting horizontal flange in supporting engagement with the lower surface of said central sheet, and a downwardly projecting stacking rail integral with and located between the horizontal flanges of said stacking rail element to extend along the inner edge of said terminal flange; and means coupling adjacent ends of adjacent stacking rail elements to each other and to said central sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

